Teston
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Teston
CRICKET CLUB
T
he sign that greets
visitors to Teston proudly
displays its historic link
with cricket – beautifully
hand-stitched balls were produced
there by the family-run firm of
Readers throughout the 19th and 20th
century. Sadly, the factory, which was
the village’s main employer and at
one time boasted the smallest trade
union in the country, is no longer in
existence though its listed frontage
has been incorporated into a housing
development on the site.
The men who grafted to ensure the
cricketing world had a regular supply
of high quality balls were the
backbone of Teston CC when
it was formed in 1895. The
present-day custodians
of
the
village’s
sporting heritage
still
play
at
the
same
picturesque
6 Issue 41
ground, behind an imposing country
mansion, Barham Court, that overlooks
the Medway Valley near Maidstone.
Three years ago, shortly after
Teston started a junior section, the
club committee realised their pavilion
– a former classroom that members
transported in four sections from a
neighbouring village in 1982 and reassembled at the ground – was no
longer fit for purpose.
Kent and England legend Derek
‘Deadly’ Underwood was the main
speaker at the launch of a fund-raising
appeal which received a major boost
when Sport England awarded a £50,000
grant to the project. This was followed
by £5,000 from a local charitable trust.
A 100-mile sponsored bike ride,
a poker night and a golf day kept the
cash flowing in. However, the club had
to take out an ECB interest-free loan to
meet unexpected costs and a series of
money-making events are planned for
the next five years.
Main contractor Nick Elliott ensured
the project was completed within
budget, on time, and to a high standard.
Several tradesmen friends of the club
also made generous donati